21 Market Research Tips

In my last post, I outlined a few ways small business owners and freelancers can do their own market research. While it’s entirely possible to conduct your own research and collect meaningful data, you need a plan in order to be successful.

This post provides tips for making sure the time, energy and money you’re investing in your market research is well spent.

Be clear about your objectives before beginning your market research.

Identify your target audience, how many respondents you require and what data you are hoping to collect before beginning.

Make sure your target group is relevant to your needs and represents the market you are targeting.

Watch for and incorporate unsolicited feedback you receive on social networks or review sites.

Say thank you to every single person who contributes to your research.

Provide a place for open-ended comments on any survey that you use.

Make it common practice to ask clients for suggestions at every interaction.